Packed yarding for October cattle sale in Yea

THE October Combined Agents Store Sale took place at the Yea Saleyards last Friday, with a large yarding of just under 3000 head of cattle and prices that are bouncing back from the lower values of the last few months. A feature line of 400 head of cattle from Werai Station in Deniliquin was a highlight, alongside low-weight heifers that sold well. Elders Yea’s Andrew Hill spoke about weight classes and prices at the October store sale. “There was a pretty handy run of cows and calves, and it made from $3525 down to $3200, which was good in the scheme of things for cows and calves,” Andrew said. “We had a good run of steers.” The 500kg steers made $2700, 450kg steers made $2500, 400 kg steers made $2000. Lower weight steers, such as the 350kg cattle made from $1980 to $2000, and 200kg Angus cattle made from $1500 upwards to around $1650. “Most of those cattle traded around that $5.20 to $5.50 per kilogram mark,” Andrew said. “The cattle jobs got cheaper because it's been very dear the last two or three sales, but now it's come back a bit, and it's made a bit more interest for people to buy back in. It’s created its own interest, with the prices coming back and a lot more people jumped in and bought cattle to take home.” In the heifers, 440kg heifers made $2200, 400kg heifers made around $2030, 370kg heifers made $1910, 320kg heifers made around $1500. The small Angus heifers, around 200kg to 220kg, made anything from $1100 to $1500. “They might have been the highlight of the sale, those little heifers,” Andrew said. “Some of those cattle made nearly $6 per kilogram, just because, you know, they were good types to take back out to grass, and everyone was keen on them. “But all those bigger heifers traded in that $4 bracket, so up to $4.90 per kilogram, which was the same as steers, that's where it was three or four sales ago.” The cattle went to feed lotters, processors, re-stockers and local competition. Andrew explained that the price has begun an upward trend because of the rainfall. “The only reason the price has come back is because everyone was waiting on that rain,” he said. “Especially up here, our country's going to bounce pretty well now with that rain. “That's going to give everyone a bit of confidence, but it was just a good opportunity to buy back into the market at the softer rates.” Yea and District Memorial Hospital attended the sale for free mouth mapping oral cancer screenings and mental health support. The next cattle sale at the Yea Saleyards will be the November Combined Agents Store Sale on November 6, followed by the Nutrien Yea Autumn Drop Weaner Sale on November 20.